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Microsoft Shares Holiday Ad Promoting Surface Go Over Apple's iPad: 'Big Dreams Need a Real Computer'
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Except the Surface Go is underpowered with a Pentium chip that doesn’t turbo boost. It shouldn’t be running a full blown desktop OS. In its base configuration it ships with Windows S, meaning it’s a $50 upgrade to run desktop apps.
Not at all, it has all the software I need to do my software development, that's the difference really.
As usual, a forum reader who doesn't understand a comment automatically flies into attack mode and makes themselves look very foolish.
That's odd considering my iPP has replaced my computerS aside from my gaming rig.
Funny, my 3 Win 10 boxes - Spectre x360, Surface Pro, and homebuilt Ryzen 7 machines have been stellar in the reliability department. They go a month without rebooting (when patches do it)wake and sleep when needed and generally have been as reliable as my Macs.
The Ryzen 7 machine gets beat up - it's a VM running beast and usually runs 4-7 of them at a time and being a photo/video editing computer. The only time it was unreliable was when it had a bad memory stick. Sent it off to Crucial and it was replaced promptly.
Actually, it kinda sounds like his deskside team has applied things rather willy-nilly.
I tried making the iPad more productive for 6 generations and just got tired of jumping through app hoops to try and make it mimic PC or Mac functionality. Sorry, but there's more than 5 things iOS needs to fix. iOS is fine as it is for the iPhone, but for something like the iPad pro that is supposedly a laptop replacement, it falls way short. I had iPads up through their 6th generation, hopping through app hoops trying to make it a real productivity machine. Finally got tired of everything being created being stored in the app it was created in. Some of us who are power users will never be able to use the iPad with iOS having so much control over how you use it. And the iPad will never be a laptop replacement until Apple gives us back some of that control and lets us use it the way we want. I want an iPad Pro really bad, because it is a beautiful piece of hardware. Unfortunately, it's a beautiful piece of hardware that is hampered from ever reaching its full potential by the software that runs it.
I finally got tired of trying and went with the MS Surface Pro 5, which I really like. They will need to give iOS for the iPad Pro some more features before I give up my Surface Pro and come back. A device with the screen size and hardware that the iPad Pro has, demands a few more features from its OS, and the iPad Pro just seems lacking without them. There are 5 features I would need before I could replace my Surface Pro with an iPad Pro. They could even make it so people that don't want these features could turn them off for a simpler experience.
1. iOS for iPad Pro should have the ability to set your own default apps for things like email, web browser, photo editor, etc. just like you can do on a Mac or PC.
2. iOS for iPad Pro should have a real file manager like Finder or Explorer so you can store and arrange your files the way you want to. The ability to click on a file and open it with the app of your choice is also a must. I just can't stand the fact that you are forced to save files in the app they were created in. How cumbersome is that?
3. The ability to use a mouse or put a touch pad on the "Smart Keyboard". For the iPad Pro to truly be a Mac or PC replacement, this would be a must. I can mirror an iPad to my Apple TV, but instead of a keyboard and mouse to control it, I have to actually have the iPad in my lap. Same thing when I hook one up to a monitor with an HDMI cable.
4. And, for the ease of transferring files on and off an iPad and expanding its storage, it needs a micro SD card slot or USB. I would prefer the micro SD for the smaller footprint.
5. I am a Real Estate Broker, and I need my machine to be able to run full complex web applications on a full desktop browser, not a mobile browser. Until iPad can do this, it is not a PC or Mac replacement.
So, when they say the iPad Pro can replace a Mac or PC, I say: “PC replacement my ars!” How the heck can they claim it as a Mac or PC replacement when you can't even use it like one?
Just to make myself clear, I don't care if the normal iPad (iPad Air) gets an update. The iPad Pro, which claims to be an Mac or PC replacement needs the features I mentioned above. If you can't use it like a real Mac or PC, then it can't replace a real Mac or PC. I would really love to buy a new iPad Pro, but until Apple gives the OS features that can let the iPad Pro really be used like a Mac or PC, it is not a true Mac or PC replacement.
And to those who comment on the touch interface not being compatible with point and click devices, you are dead wrong. On my Surface Pro there is the regular Windows 10 desktop, and a Windows 10 touch interface. The mouse point and click works just as well on either interface. Yes, touch does not work as well on the regular Windows 10 desktop interface, but it does work. Office 365 even has settings to allow for a smoother touch experience. I have no doubt that the mouse or touch pad would work just fine in iOS and its apps also.
I have used both Mac and PC since 1990 and like them both. I don't camp out in either camp and refuse to get into the silly useless debates about which is better. They both have their strengths and weaknesses, and to me they are equal in their ability to be fun and productive. The best computer experience, is the one that you like to use most. I am very happy to say that I like them both.
I finally got tired of trying and went with the MS Surface Pro 5, which I really like. They will need to give iOS for the iPad Pro some more features before I give up my Surface Pro and come back. A device with the screen size and hardware that the iPad Pro has, demands a few more features from its OS, and the iPad Pro just seems lacking without them. There are 5 features I would need before I could replace my Surface Pro with an iPad Pro. They could even make it so people that don't want these features could turn them off for a simpler experience.
1. iOS for iPad Pro should have the ability to set your own default apps for things like email, web browser, photo editor, etc. just like you can do on a Mac or PC.
2. iOS for iPad Pro should have a real file manager like Finder or Explorer so you can store and arrange your files the way you want to. The ability to click on a file and open it with the app of your choice is also a must. I just can't stand the fact that you are forced to save files in the app they were created in. How cumbersome is that?
3. The ability to use a mouse or put a touch pad on the "Smart Keyboard". For the iPad Pro to truly be a Mac or PC replacement, this would be a must. I can mirror an iPad to my Apple TV, but instead of a keyboard and mouse to control it, I have to actually have the iPad in my lap. Same thing when I hook one up to a monitor with an HDMI cable.
4. And, for the ease of transferring files on and off an iPad and expanding its storage, it needs a micro SD card slot or USB. I would prefer the micro SD for the smaller footprint.
5. I am a Real Estate Broker, and I need my machine to be able to run full complex web applications on a full desktop browser, not a mobile browser. Until iPad can do this, it is not a PC or Mac replacement.
So, when they say the iPad Pro can replace a Mac or PC, I say: “PC replacement my ars!” How the heck can they claim it as a Mac or PC replacement when you can't even use it like one?
Just to make myself clear, I don't care if the normal iPad (iPad Air) gets an update. The iPad Pro, which claims to be an Mac or PC replacement needs the features I mentioned above. If you can't use it like a real Mac or PC, then it can't replace a real Mac or PC. I would really love to buy a new iPad Pro, but until Apple gives the OS features that can let the iPad Pro really be used like a Mac or PC, it is not a true Mac or PC replacement.
And to those who comment on the touch interface not being compatible with point and click devices, you are dead wrong. On my Surface Pro there is the regular Windows 10 desktop, and a Windows 10 touch interface. The mouse point and click works just as well on either interface. Yes, touch does not work as well on the regular Windows 10 desktop interface, but it does work. Office 365 even has settings to allow for a smoother touch experience. I have no doubt that the mouse or touch pad would work just fine in iOS and its apps also.
I have used both Mac and PC since 1990 and like them both. I don't camp out in either camp and refuse to get into the silly useless debates about which is better. They both have their strengths and weaknesses, and to me they are equal in their ability to be fun and productive. The best computer experience, is the one that you like to use most. I am very happy to say that I like them both.
According to the hugely popular Code.org coding tutorial web site for students, iPads are only good for K-5 so the $1500 iPad Pro investment goes in the trash after grade 5. Beyond that you need a real OS like Windows, Linux, ChromeOS or MacOS so the ad is spot on.
https://support.code.org/hc/en-us/articles/202591743-Technical-requirements-for-Code-org
https://studio.code.org/maker/setup
https://support.code.org/hc/en-us/articles/202591743-Technical-requirements-for-Code-org
https://studio.code.org/maker/setup
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I wish I could say the same about my Win 10 boxes. Microsoft's biannual update process is a nail biter every time. I have resorted to holding off on these updates for at least 30 if not 60 days to make sure they are stable or to see if they have been patched. Sorry but I much prefer my Mac/iOS environment over the Win 10 anyday.
And that is your experience, not to be confused with everyone else’s. Not only am I more productive on my iPad Pro, I absolutely prefer it. I’m a photographer. Editing photos on a 12.9” iPad Pro is like editing directly on an 8 x 10 print. I just can’t go back to an indirect cursor based UI.
Can iOS for iPad be improved? Absolutely. Lowest hanging fruit: access to USB storage. This is an easy one and would resolve a large part of the complaints. Good news: Apple is redesigning the new Files app from scratch for iOS 13. Given that they switched to USB C on the iPad Pro, it’s a good guess that full support of USB peripherals is exactly what they’re doing.
Still, the benefits of using an iPad Pro versus a Mac or a traditional PC are far greater than the growing pains like these that we have to endure. My iPad Pro is a real computer.
Nope. To switch to full Windows 10 Home on the Surface Go is free. It takes literary a couple of seconds. Also: The fact that the CPU does not turbo boost is not necessarily a disadvantage. It simply means that it runs on a constant speed.
Likewise, people will buy Surface for the same reason as you. OTOH, others will buy Surface or iOS devices purely on the basis of being 'cool' - and there is nothing wrong with that - to each their own - that's how Apple got more popular, thanks in part to the iPod.
Absolutely, some where along the way, Apple's marketing strategy changed into convincing people that iPad can replace a desktop. For the more trivial tasks it can, but others, iOS is way off replacing the desktop.
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Mainsail, I stand by my post.
Glad that the iPad works 360 degrees with your workflow. And, sorry, that I somehow offended you.
But, as I said, my household matches tool to task -- not in reverse.
Dude, let's agree to disagree, and leave it at that.
[Cook was mentioned because it is he who tally-ho! the iPad. "Why would you buy a Personal Computer anymore?"]
I have tried editing photos on an iPad, I can't get it to work for me as well as a PC. Importing the images stinks because you're stuck with using the Photos app. If you want to go into Lightroom you've got to import into Photos, then migrate to Lightroom, then delete from Photos. Right there's ~10 minutes of work that can be avoided on a real computer. Then once you get into Lightroom you've got to deal with a touch UI rather than keyboard shortcuts (although I guess if you have an iPad Pro you can use a keyboard, but do shortcuts work on iPads?) 5 taps to do something a keyboard shortcut can do in an instant. No plugins either so you're limited to what Adobe has built in.
Affinity Photo gives you a ton of control, but it's not a DAM so you can't manage a library in it or work on more than one image simultaneously.
There is no way I can be more productive on a modal OS like iOS, even with photography.
The thing is Microsoft are not wrong! I was an iPad Pro user (2017 iPad Pro) before a horrible customer service experience, now I own a Surface Pro 6 and as much as I've been an Apple fan over the years, I have to admit that the Surface is a much better computer replacement.
The iPad Pro is a great tablet, but it's still an iPad, the Surface has a full blown OS that so far I haven't had any issues with (it's early days since I've only owned it since last Sunday). As a writer the Surface Pro 6 has so far been a lot better than my old iPad Pro even with the ASK keyboard, with the Surface Pro I not only have a full keyboard with key travel, backlight keys but also a trackpad that works well.
Apple really need a full blown OS on the iPad Pro, yes the new iPad Pros are very impressive with the power they have BUT that power is locked behind a mobile OS, put a real OS on it with better features and we will see, until then i'm more than happy with my Surface Pro 6
The iPad Pro is a great tablet, but it's still an iPad, the Surface has a full blown OS that so far I haven't had any issues with (it's early days since I've only owned it since last Sunday). As a writer the Surface Pro 6 has so far been a lot better than my old iPad Pro even with the ASK keyboard, with the Surface Pro I not only have a full keyboard with key travel, backlight keys but also a trackpad that works well.
Apple really need a full blown OS on the iPad Pro, yes the new iPad Pros are very impressive with the power they have BUT that power is locked behind a mobile OS, put a real OS on it with better features and we will see, until then i'm more than happy with my Surface Pro 6
You haven’t met my nieces (2,7) and nephew (5). They were able to locate the hidden remotes and switch on and use the tv and Apple TV when 2. They can do pretty much anything with any device handed to them today, inc a pc. So at this rate, they will be coding in c# at 10, never mind working out how to use Windows 10!
Do not under estimate the inquisitive capable mind of a child!
Agreed, give them everything you can to learn and they'll take it to the limits if they are interested. I am thankful my grandparents and parents gave me computers to play with as a child. It's given me the tools to earn a nice living at this point in my life.
I haven't tried the Surface but I really agree that the iPad is not a "real computer" in any way, and is closer to a large smartphone in terms of how you do things with it.
Having to jump through all the incredibly frustrating iOS hoops in order to convert a simple document to another format, or import a PDF from Dropbox to iBooks, or compose an email while checking the details of another email, etc... Not to mention the way the interface randomly changes on a yearly bases with every app, making it impossible to get used to how things are.
I really don't believe in the iPad as something to replace any of the functionality of a computer. It sits between a computer and a smartphone and since you definitely own both, it's quite redundant. If I have both the iPad and my computer with me, I can't think of anything I would rather do on the iPad than the computer.
And how iPad prices have gone up, I'd rather spend that money towards a better computer or smartphone which each have their place all day every day.
Having to jump through all the incredibly frustrating iOS hoops in order to convert a simple document to another format, or import a PDF from Dropbox to iBooks, or compose an email while checking the details of another email, etc... Not to mention the way the interface randomly changes on a yearly bases with every app, making it impossible to get used to how things are.
I really don't believe in the iPad as something to replace any of the functionality of a computer. It sits between a computer and a smartphone and since you definitely own both, it's quite redundant. If I have both the iPad and my computer with me, I can't think of anything I would rather do on the iPad than the computer.
And how iPad prices have gone up, I'd rather spend that money towards a better computer or smartphone which each have their place all day every day.
It is a disadvantage, which is why it is limited to the Pentium brand. Different programs need different speeds. The Surface Go is limited to 2 cores running at a maximum of 1.6GHz (it can go slower than that, but lacks the boost feature of the Core CPUs).
Buy what works for you.
I will eventually test Surfaces again when it comes time to replace my iMac. I use my iPad (in whatever configuration) as a drawing tablet, consumption device and mark up tool for school and real life.
I’d love one machine that serves all my needs, but right now I still need two.
I will eventually test Surfaces again when it comes time to replace my iMac. I use my iPad (in whatever configuration) as a drawing tablet, consumption device and mark up tool for school and real life.
I’d love one machine that serves all my needs, but right now I still need two.